As the New York Yankees continue to make moves, a meeting will be held Thursday with free agent Patrick Corbin.
Acquiring James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners might not be enough for the New York Yankees. As per report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the left-hander will continue his free agent tour and head to Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
Corbin has been on the Yankees’ radar for quite some time and rumors were floating around during the season that there was interest. A lifelong Yankee fan and New York native, it might not take a lot to convince Corbin to wear the pinstripes.
He recently met with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday and the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. Both teams are looking to upgrade and have the money to do so.
As for the Yankees, it’s no secret that their plan was to improve the rotation. After bringing back C.C Sabathia and grabbing Paxton, Brian Cashman believes one more key starter will do the trick.
The word on the street for Corbin’s asking price is around $75 million for five years. That number could jump to at least $100 or $120 million knowing that he’s talking to teams that are willing to spend.
The Yankees might be steered away from that price as Corbin is already 29 years old with a Tommy John surgery under his belt. Corbin became a hot commodity this past season posting a 3.15 ERA in 33 starts. The lefty went 11-7 while striking out 246 batters.
In no way is Corbin an ace starter, but he could fit really well in a rotation with Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sabathia and Paxton. Pending on his asking price and what the Yankees think of him, J.A. Happ’s future in the bronx could be in the balance.
Happ, a 35-year old left hander, has also been rumored of leaving the club despite posting an impressive record with the bombers. In 11 starts, Happ went 7-0 with a ERA of 2.69. As a free agent, Happ is also looking for a new home as the Yankees haven’t made a firm offer for him.
The pitching route for the Yankees will be much clearer following the meeting with Corbin on Thursday.
